Witnesses Report Possible Loss Of Power On Takeoff

A Czechoslovakian-made Aero L-29 Delfin crashed shortly after takeoff Sunday morning in Millville, NJ. The Cold War-era jet trainer went down in a wooded area a half-mile northwest of the Millville Municipal Airport, according to FAA spokeswoman Holly Baker.

The aircraft (type shown below) departed MIV at 0800 local time, and went down shortly after. Pilot William Crean, 65, and passenger Fredrick Gault, 57, were killed, according to The Star-Ledger.

Jim Salmon, a spokesman for the Delaware River and Bay Authority which leases and manages the airport spoke to witnesses at the scene.

According to their reports he summarized, "once airborne, the aircraft's engine went silent, and the aircraft subsequently descended into a forested area."

The wreckage was difficult for rescue workers to find and even more difficult for them to reach.

"There's no roadways back into the area where the plane is. So at this point, they had to have a bulldozer cut a road back in there, almost a mile into the woods," said Sgt. Stephen Jones of New Jersey State Police.

The region had a forecast of heavy showers and high winds in effect however Salmon said conditions were favorable for flying when the aircraft took off. "There wasn't too much wind. It was sunny, a little hazy," he said. "You could fly in it."

Authorities said cause of the crash is under investigation. The National Transportation Safety Board will lead an investigation assisted by State Police in New Jersey, along with the FAA.

FMI: www.faa.gov